A few weeks ago I briefly covered the new iPhone/iPad version of the popular writing and organising app, Ulysses. Since then I have come to love the iPhone implementation. I was already a heavy user of Ulysses in the Mac but the absence of an iPhone version was a major hindrance. This is particularly so for me since I use the 6 Plus in preference to an iPad when out and about.
Since then the application has become an indispensible part of my workflow. I really don’t know how I managed without it before. Of course, I did have Ulysses on the Mac but without the abililty to jot down notes or edit articles on the iPhone it was pretty limited in cope. No longer.
Not only is the new implementation a triumph in its own right, it has completely transformed my workflow and made me far more productive. For writers, dealing with a number of articles on the go at one time, the folder organisation of the application is just right. Among others, I keep two main folders, one for ideas (where I can jot notes, add links and general reference material) and one for posts in progress. Here I can revise and redraft wherever I happen to be.
On the bus
The idea for this particular article, for instance, came to me yesterday as I was walking to the bus stop. By the end of the journey it was finished and ready to go.
Ulysses has powerful plain-text editing features which supports Markdown formatting to handle such features as headings, emphasis, links and footnotes which are then translated when posted to the blog. It can handle reference material in the form of notes, links or photographs and all this information is to hand as you write. Export can be in a wide variety of formats, although I use mainly HTML to copy the text over to the Squarespace web editor for posting to Macfilos.
Without a doubt, though, it is the convenience that impresses. To have all my articles on tap wherever I am is a great productivity driver. It enables me to spend more time proofreading while travelling and thus helps overcome mistakes. It also promotes the jotting down of ideas that can be incorporated into existing articles (particularly relevant for camera reviews and longer texts). Above all, it provides a strong incentive to get down to writing. Procrastination is an ever-present danger and Ulysses goes a long way to keep it at bay.
I am both astounded and delighted at the way in which Ulysses has transformed by working life. I now feel more in control, certainly more productive. The ideas are flowing, thanks to Ulysses.
I can unreservedly recommend Ulysses to other writers and to anyone who has to jot down ideas, prepare and edit stuff whether at home, in the office or on the hoof.
